Tyhjennä haku
New Zealand and Australia 2016
  • Terrence Kaushik
maalisk. – toukok. 2016

New Zealand and Australia 2016

62-päiväinen seikkaillu — Terrence Lue lisää
SeuraaYhteenvetoKalenteriJaaJaaToivelista
Uusin ensin
  • Matkan aloitus
    29. maaliskuuta 2016
    Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Testing 1 2 3! ...Continued

    28. maaliskuuta 2016, Kanada ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    Alright! 4 sleeps until takeoff!

    For those of you who don't already know, I leave Canada on the 29th of March for New Zealand and Australia! I'm aiming for about 2 months away but we will see what happens and if I get stuck somewhere along the way ;)

    I intend to update this about twice a week with sweet pictures and of course my phenomenal writing ability (yeah right) :D

    Also I've decided that the below beer glass shall represent my motto for this trip! Haha

    Anyways. I'll make another post the night before.

    Cheers    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    9 hours and counting!

    28. maaliskuuta 2016, Kanada ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    Today (March 28th) I realized one thing and I believe it's applicable to almost everyone reading this. I realized that there will never be a good time to leave. To go adventuring. Or to break up. Or to let go of everything you know. The heavens aren't going to clear your path. Big steps in life are always hard, and I think that's what makes them all so special. But for anyone reading this saying "I wish I could do that." Well newsflash. You can. Take a jump or a leap. If it takes a little liquid courage go ahead. Just don't live life saying "I wish I could do that." Because you and I both know you can, it just won't be a walk in the park.

    For me this trip means a lot. It's me letting go of a lot of things back home and it's me taking a few months to live for me. Just me.

    And I am going to take full advantage of every single minute of it.

    Flights off in 9 hours!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Calgary and Los Angeles

    29. maaliskuuta 2016, Yhdysvallat ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Alright so this morning at 815 my flight was up up and away! My first flight was from saskatoon to Calgary and I met a guy named Dillion on the plane. He was a quiet civil engineer heading to Calgary for a brief business trip and would be returning the following day.

    Already I'm getting rather confused looks from people when I say I don't know exactly when I'm coming back or that I'm travelling alone. But that doesn't bother me. It's usually followed by a comment like "wow I'm jealous"

     On the plane I read about Brisbane which has officially been added to my australia itinerary! I really want to go see rainbow beach now!

    My flight into Los Angeles from Calgary was delayed about an hour. Which considering there was no WiFi in the airport was slightly frustrating. But I used my time well and finished up something that otherwise I would have put off indefinitely so as they say "everything happens for a reason" :)

    On my next flight I met Jeanette. She was a writing teacher at the u of s going to Los Angeles for a conference. She would be there for a the week and then fly home. Also this lady sitting behind me was going to melbourne and since we were late neither of us were sure if we would make Santa Monica work so she gave me a few other ideas of things to do! I also caught about 2 hours of sleep on the plane which was really refreshing and helped me get through the rest of the day!

    Upon getting into lax I still had no WiFi. Sure mom wasn't pleased about the lack of response but I'm fine so she'll live! Upon getting in I decided I'd make my way to Santa Monica pier after all 😊 on the shuttle to the bus terminal I met a nice German guy but I didn't catch his name. He was traveling for a couple months. He had already done Vietnam Thailand and Cambodia and this was his first time in America. But Cambodia so far was his favourite. So many nice people. But anyways I caught my bus just in time and off I went! 😊

    Not long into my bus ride a guy named Cameron popped into the seat beside me and he was quite an interesting man. A 23 year old who bounced around from Miami to Vegas to Portland to LA. He wanted to become a bartender but his real passion was rap. I thought that was a pretty sweet. Anyways he ended up pretty much walking me right to the pier because he worked only a few blocks away. What luck! :)

    The pier was beautiful! Unfortunately I was an incredibly windy day so I wasn't able to get as much out of Venice Beach as I had hoped. Was still pretty awesome feeling the waves come in and crash against my feet. I hadn't felt that since my explore days in Vancouver (NEVER STOP EXPLORING!)

    On the way back to the airport on the bus I watched a guy in his 50s reach into a small cooler he had, pull out a colt 45 (beer can) take a sip and put it back and he gave zero f**ks about it. It was fantastic.

    Now I'm back at the airport waiting for my flight and I will be off in about 3.5 hours. Yeah still a long layover but it's alright!

    Next time we chat I'll be on the other side of the world!😁

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Busy days in Auckland

    1. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Wow.

    Waiting for my final flight I met Ed. A Melbourne youngster like myself. He had spent 3 weeks in California running around exploring national parks. Ed gave me a few pointers on where to go in Melbourne and along Australia's north coast.

    The flight wasn't nearly full so I had A block of three seats all to myself. So for almost 8 hours I lay across the seats slipping in and out of sleep which was convenient 😊

    Upon arrival I breezed through customs and jumped on the next bus into the city. I met Jeff from New York (not the city). I think it was his first time out of the states and he seemed pretty excited about it. Shortly after I checked into my hostel Bamber House.

    I pretty much just changed and dropped my bag off and Then I was gone. I took a bus into downtown and found the free walking tour I was looking for. It was about 3 hours and I learned a lot about Auckland and NZ as a whole. Including that Auckland is the land of 1000 lovers. I also met Tessa from London, and Jean a marketing dude who was from Brazil.

    By the time the tour was over I headed back to the hostel for a well deserved snooze and slept three hours. When I awoke I met Loren Kelly and Allison. Three American girls who were studying kinesiology in Australia and just touring nz for a week. The hostel had a pizza hut night for five dollars. I met a bunch more people mainly from England in the hostel and we played dart games. It wasn't a late night as I was still exhausted from my flights.

    The following day I pulled myself out of bed around 930. I was still a bit jet lagged but I knew if I didn't get up I'd miss out on my day. I showered up and found the nearest grocery store. It was nice to have the language on my side unlike my grocery shopping experiences in Europe. When I was finished I headed back to the hostel and had a late breakfast. I packed my things and off I went.

    Mount Eden was right down the street so I went down and it took about 20 minutes to climb to the summit. The view was absolutely spectacular. It provided stunning views of the city from every direction. I took out my packed lunch and had myself a nice picnic on the summit. Them I stuck around and people watched for about half hour, taking pictures for everyone I could and receiving a few keepers for myself in the process 😊 I also found a quieter spot near the peak and peed off the mountain. Hehe. (See picture for view)

    After that I went back to the hostel. It was raining for most of the day so I didn't really go out. I chatted with Will. He was a veteran traveller from Cambridge. I also met a german guy named Bastian who had just finished his nz adventure and highly recommended Abel Tasman national park in the south island and im prett6 sure its now been added to my list.

    Then Allison joined us in the common room followed by Loren and Kelly. They let me tag along with them on adventures to their previous hostel to find Allison's glasses which was fun. They had a car so we blasted country music and sang our hearts out. Then the three of us went out to Nandos for supper. I thought it was just a fast food joint but I had a half chicken and was completely stuffed by the time we finished up.

    We got back to the hostel around 830 and I've decided to stay in and keep a low profile for the rest of the night. My bus tomorrow leaves at 745 so I need to get an early sleep. Chat again soon guys. Next stop Paihia and the bay of islands! 😊

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    First day in Paihia!

    2. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Today I woke up at 545 and since my bus was going to be leaving two hours after that I decided to just stay up and get ready for the day. On my way to the bus stop I finally got a shot of the skytower and what a beautiful sight it is!

    The bus ride north was beautiful. The hillside was so lush and green and I actually got to watch sunrise over the green hills from the bus which was spectacular! The hillside reminded me a bit of Scotland and Ireland combined with BC which was a nice reminder of Europe and home.

    I checked in at noon cause they had my room ready early which was fantastic 😊 Kirsty at the front desk was beyond helpful in helping my plan my next three days here! But sunday and Monday are going to be a surprise!

    After making myself a lunch I decided to do a 4 hour hike (who am I!?). Early in the walk i saw an old couple with two dogs playing on the shore. I couldnt help but hope that would somehow be me one day. About an hour into the hike I stumbled upon a group of seven who were doing the kiwi experience (which is likr a tour group across new zealand for people like myself) so I ended up just tagging along with them. After another hour or so of hiking we finally came to Haruru Falls which was a modest water fall 😊 given that I've never seen a waterfall before I was more than impressed and happy. I sat on the edge and felt the water breeze through my feet just before falling off the edge. It was an absolutely incredible feeling! I also brought myself a salad lunch so I had A picnic on the edge of the waterfall (pretty freaking sweet if you ask me!) After a long two hour hike back I checked back into the hostel and confirmed and paid for my activities for the following two days.

    After a long (much needed) shower I vegged out on my phone for a while. I booked my bus from paihia to Rotorua for later this week as well as three days accommodation at what should be a pretty amazing hostel I'm rotorua so I'm pretty excited!

    Then around 830 I finally went out searching for food. I found a place called thirty30 on trip advisor that was supposed to be cheap and tasty so I went there. It turned out there was a live band playing there so that was a lovely surprise. In their first intermission Kat and Nick came and introduced themselves. Kat was from Ireland and nick from the south island. Both probably late thirties. Super great and friendly. Oh I forgot to mention.... I was pretty much the whole audience for the night. By 11 the boss Tony started joining in with some pretty rad dance moves which obviously I had to join in for. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a good ole two step but the few girls I asked were certainly not interested. I'm pretty certain it's not a thing here so it was slightly awkward.

    On my walk back to the hostel I chose to walk along the shoreline. Had some Ed Sheeran playing lightly in my ears with the sound of the tide acting as a steady relaxed heartbeat in the background. What a way to end the night! Anyways it's about midnight now and I just got home. What a great night out and a fantastic first day I'm Paihia!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Rough day but still so happy :)

    3. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Okay so quite a day here!

    Decided to take a sailing tour of the islands. It was pretty beautiful. We spent two hours on one of the islands. I met a guy named phillip and we hung out for most of the day so we were Terrence and Phillip for the day haha.

    Our captain was Dave from Florida. Well technically from Florida but from the age of 9 his family and him travelled the world sailing. Like he legit did school on the sailboat. They even had a piano on board for music. Pretty incredible story. Dave gave me quite the flack for asking about sharks. And as you may have guessed...no i wasnt attacked by a shark because the NZ sharks really dont bother humans which is more than okay by me.

    On the island we borrow the two kayaks and explored a bit. Water started to get into the kayak so i put took my phone put of my pocket and put it on my lap. That was a mistake. As i attempted to get pulled back on board i forgot about my phone and just like that it fell into the water. I kinda just went into shock and watched it sink. By the time i realized what had happened it was too deep for me to feel comfortable going in. After a minute or so of panic this Austrian guy who looked and sounded like Chris Hemsworth (seriously) stepped up and was like Ill get it for you. So he dived in and about five minutes later he was able to find it and bring it to shore. I asked his name and he said mike. I was like are you kidding me!? Another Mike has saved my ass haha. My phone was still working at that point so theres hope. After that I turned it off.

    When we got back to shore i bought rice and ever since its been sitting in it. I think to give it the best chance for survival ill give it until the end of tomorrow at least. I also bought myself some noodles and some breakfast for tomorrow.

    Early evening was pretty much just me bumming around until about eight when I headed back to thirty30. Tonight was jam night and it was so cool! It was a bunch of locals and travellers alike just jumping on stage and playing their hearts out. Any instrument could jump in whenever. The instruments involved are below:

    Tribal drum
    Regular drum set
    Guitar
    Bass
    Violin
    Harmonica
    Saxaphone
    Tamberine
    Electric guitar

    I also met a few of the musicians and Sophie a girl from the UK who was pretty sweet and had cycled from the south island all the way up to Paihia which was an incredible accomplishment if i do say so. By about 11 i left but i wasnt ready to go home just yet so i veered off the road towards the shore again but went the other way. I found this little cove with almost no light from the town and just a little bit from the island across the bay. The stars were AMAZING. In fact im writing this whole post from just underneath them (on my ipod). So beautiful 😊

    Just got home. Had a 10 minute dance party along the shore for my walk home to starlight by neverest and dance and love that lasts by tim halperin. What a lovely way to end the night. Big day trip in the morning so ive got to sleep now. Take care everyone and chat soon!

    -Terrence (and possibly his phone) out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Cape Reinga

    4. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Another early morning. This time im off to the northern most tip of the island referred to as Cape Reinga. This is the spot where the pacific ocean meets the Tasman sea and i am quite excited to see it!

    Today i learned that 90 mile beach is actually a state highway. Even motor cycles are allowed. I took some sweet shots from the bus. Eventually we arrived at the sand dunes and did some sand boarding which was actually a lot of fun. On the way up the hill I met Emilie who was born in Sweden but had lived all over europe.

    I spent the rest of the day getting to know her and sharing my life story along the way. It was enlightening to share such deep conversation with someone while also being entirely lighthearted about other things.

    The tour then lead us to Cape Reinga which was pretty nice but i had kind of built it up more in my head. Emilie and i took a few photos and then these two asian ladies came up and asked us if they could take a photo with us. It was pretty odd but we had a good chuckle. Then we went to a beach and had lunch as a group. Also got a chance to really hit the water even though i wasnt entirely dressed for it, but it was so worth it. After lunch we drove back down 90 mile beach. Also Chris the bus driver was absolutely wonderful. He even taught us a traditional Mauri song about love and growth which was a lot of fun.

    The day ended with a forest adventure where we sang the song he had taught us to the forest and a fish and chips dinner which definitely hit the spot.

    Once we got back into Paihia Emilie and I took the ferry to Russell the biggest island in the bay where she was staying. We had a few drinks in the first officially licensed pub in new zealand which was neat. It had a very british feel to it and it was absolutely beautiful. Also Speights beer is delicious.

    We walked the shore and chatted a bit more before i took the last ferry back into Paihia. What an absolutely spectacular day!

    Tomorrow im off to Rotorua. Going to be quite the day on the bus. Nighty night.

    -Terrence out

    PS MY PHONE IS ALIVE!!!    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Off to Rotorua!

    5. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Alrighty. Another early morning. Hit the road with the bus by 8am this morning. I got about an hour of sleep on the first bus from Paihia back to Auckland. Thank goodness there was WiFi on that bus so then I enjoyed Spotify and messenger keeping up with people!

    Then around noon I arrived into Auckland. Had a quick lunch at subway and then off to the next bus. This bus didn't have WiFi unfortunately so I just ended up sleeping for the most part. It was actually nice to catch up on my sleep a bit. When I got into Rotorua my hostel was only about an 8 minute walk from the bus station which was nice.

    Upon checking in I met a German guy named Felix who was from Cologne. After a quick shower and a brief chat we decided to hit the town and find something to eat. We got a little bit lost and ended up walking through the government gardens which were beautiful. We eventually found this place called eat street which was an open concept mall of restaurants which was really neat. Most of the places were relatively empty so we just followed the crowd and went into a chain ish restaurant called CBK (craft bar and kitchen). I had seafood chowder which was pleasantly hearty and Felix had a surf and turf burger. He barely touched his fries so I got to eat those too! Felix explained how he had hitchhiked in 4 different cars to get to Rotorua that day. Seemed like we both had long days.

    On the way home we stopped at pak and save and bought some beer and breakfast foods only to realize that the hostel didn't allow outside liquor.. oops! Upon returning to the hostel we tried finding things to do for the following day but somehow got entered into a "killer pool" tournament. I actually ended up winning and won a free beer as well as a refund of one nights stay at the hostel! A total value of about thirty bucks so I was quite happy 😊 Needless to say I am REALLY enjoying this hostel. Not only because I won but it just has an incredible vibe and there is a very social atmosphere which I am really enjoying!

    Later Felix and I decided on a plan for tomorrow. We have got quite the day ahead and I look forward to writing my entry tomorrow night! Until then, goodnight and take care everyone!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Waiotapu Geothermal Wonderland

    6. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Okay so 9am Felix and I set out for our first of two adventures today! It's not quite as nice of weather down here compared to Paihia so had to dress warmer but at least there was sun and not rain! Also this morning while getting ready I found out there is a dog that lives in the hostel! DAY MADE!

    Waiotapu was our first adventure. Our first stop was a geothermal mud pool. The mud bubbled repeatedly and steam rose constantly from the surface of the mud. It was 100°C or 212°F. Pretty crazy stuff.

    The next stop was a geyser which erupted right in front of us. It was nice but really not as epic as I thought it would be. In fact most people seemed quite disappointed. Still quite amazing when you stop and think about it though!

    Finally we made it to the park. It offered a 3km walk/hike with all sorts of beautiful nature scenes. I took a few pictures. The sulfur and other elements created lakes and pools with colours that were quite abnormal. Some bright greens, some reds, even purples. I had a small butter chicken pot pie for lunch which was surprisingly quite tasty. Felix and I even had a few birds pull up and sit with us at the table which was quite nice.

    After lunch Felix and I took the bus back to the hostel. My post is going to end here but my day doesn't so be sure to read the next post about my evening adventure with Felix!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    The Mitai Experience!

    6. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Spoiler alert: This post is going to be long because tonight was absolutely phenomenal!!!! 😆

    This evening around 5 Felix and I headed out to Mitai which is a Maori cultural experience run here in Rotorua. Warner was our bus driver and he was quite witty which I enjoyed.

    Upon arrival we were offered a small snack from a Maori girl. We were then assigned to our table where we met a family from Brisbane and a couple from Buenos Aires.

    Eventually a man introduced himself as Tama. He was a short ish man (there is a picture with him and I included) with a loud voice and a big heart. He started with basic introductions and a small Maori vocabulary lesson. After introducing himself he encouraged us as a "tribe" (family) to state our home countries. There were a total of 15 nations represented from all over the globe which was incredible.

    After these introductions finished Tama explained that he would need a male over the age of 18 to act as the chief for the evening. After just a few seconds I decided to volunteer and I'm so incredibly happy that I did because it made my evening and my exeriencte exonentially better than it already would have been! Soon after he explained what my roles would be and my first official act as chief was to exchange a proper greeting with Tama. So I went up in front of everyone and we exchanged a proper Maori greeting which was so neat! So you join noses and then your foreheads together (obviously with your eyes closed) then kind of pull back and do it once more. This time while connected you both take a deep breath. This was such an incredible bonding experience. I wish it was more customary here and back home!

    After this we departed out on a small tour of the area. There was also a small demonstration of Maori culture with the men (about seven) coming down the stream in a narrow canoe. After Tama explained what I would have to do. There would b a peace ceremony in which I would take part and give a brief speech to the actual chief of their tribe! (Turned out to be the chiefs son but still pretty freaking cool!) I would also get to do a formal greeting with the chiefs son. I was beyond excited.

    As we piled into what I would describe as a big tent type theatre. Because I was chief I got to sit right front and centre! Also this got Felix a nice seat too. The presentation began with the chief talking and a brief introduction in Maori. There was also another tribe of people who's chief was an older gentleman named Jon from Michigan. When the peace offering began we were both guided to the stage. Two warriors from the tribe including the chief entered the stage. They walked slowly toward us stopping just over halfway and dropped a small tree branch on the ground. Then they went into an aggressive state of dance and yelling and showing off their weapons to display their testosterone and masculinity. Jon began by accepting one of the peace offerings and I followed.

    Once the peace offering was accepted we gave our speeches. Again Jon began and I followed. I introduced myself with a welcome. Then as Terrence the chief of 15 nations. I explained how thankful we were to be given such an opportunity and to be his guest for the evening. And how we much looked forward to many more evenings as such. 😊 I felt my commerce background was helpful for my speech giving!

    The chief then began the rest of the presentation which involved all sorts of things. There was singing. Dancing. Weapon displays. Instrument displays. It was absolutely phenomenal. Then we headed back to the dining tent. Here Tama explained that the chief was really impressed with my speech and that I was one of the youngest chiefs to ever volunteer here. This was such an honor and I felt very proud with my role in the evenings events 😊

    Shortly after we were fed an official Maori Hangi (pronounced hung-gee) which was quite possibly one of the best meals I have ever eaten in my entire life. The meal that I ate (which wasn't even everything) included the following: sweet potato, scalloped potato, baked potato, seafood chowder, garlic toast, Chicken, lamb, gravy, and salad. Then my dessert included: a chocolate roll, steam pudding (cake), and pavlova. Wow what a meal. So stuffed.

    Afterwards the tribe went for a late night nature hike. It involved a brief breakdown of their old homes and what they were made of. Then we went on a hike and found some glow worms which was really quite neat. And then that was that. The tour was over. The night was over. I got a quite photo with Tama and then headed back onto the bus.

    Then after I got back I met this group of five American guys who are just finishing med school. They were really cool and even invited me to join them at Hobbiton tomorrow in their van which halves the cost of going so i think I'll do that!

    WHAT A DAY!!!

    -Terrence (ever so happily) out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Hobbiton and Kerosene Creek

    7. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    So today I got to sleep in just a bit. Got up around 9 and by 1015 myself and the 7 Americans set out for Hobbiton. Obviously we blasted the lord of the rings theme all the way there. We arrived around 1120 and unfortunately I didn't purchase my ticket properly so I didn't get to go on the same tour as my new friends. I was still able to catch the next bus and it was so worth it. The rolling hills were so wonderful. The hobbit holes were all varied sizes so that they could shoot the tall actors in front of the small hobbit holes and the short actors (those who were acting as hobbits) in front of the large hobbit holes which I found quite brilliant. The most beautiful thing I saw was the party tree. It was so enormous and alive. I can't explain it but it just absolutely took my breath away. Finally the tour ended at the green dragon which was the pub in the films and I had A free alcoholic cyder that was so sweet it didn't even taste like alcohol. After the tour I met back up with the guys and we headed back into the city.

    After we all changed we set out on our second adventure of the day which was kerosene creek. It was about a half hour drive from Rotorua on quite windy roads. The creek was heated naturally by geothermal activities and was just the perfect temperature. It was essentially a huge hot tub with a small 3 meter waterfall flowing into the pond and then continuing down the creek. We spent about an hour there enjoying the relaxing afternoon.

    After we came back to the hostel we all had showers because our skin all had remnants from the creek all over it (it was slightly nasty). After we were all cleaned up we checked out the night market which had all kinds of cultural food from sushi to empanadas to wurst, and desserts as well. We ended up deciding to go to abracadabra. It was a pretty sweet Moroccan and Mexican fusion restaurant. I just had beer cause I had free noodles back at the hostel.

    Overall pretty awesome day! Tomorrow off to Wellington to stay with my friend Chris that I met in Europe! I'll be there for the weekend and check I need again soon!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Off to Wellington!

    8. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Hey guys.

    So today at 850 my bus left for Wellington. I left Felix, Thomas (a french man who worked at the hostel and who's in my picture) and my new American friends behind and off I went. In the first hour I met Martin who was from Germany and a chemistry major. He had studied 4 years and had another 5 to go for his PhD. WOW.

    Then at the stop that he got off Maria (a german girl I had briefly met at the hostel 2 days before) got on and came and sat with me. We chatted a bit and got to know each other a bit better. She was a nurse in Berlin. She was given 6 weeks vacation each year so she made it a habit of taking 4 weeks each year on a new continent. Pretty neat! And wow 6 weeks vacation...as far as I know that's not really a thing in Canada.

    The bus stopped for a quick lunch around 1230. This 40 ish year old man walked up to me and said "hey Terrence how are your travels going!?" After seeing the puzzled look on my face he followed with "or should I call you chief?" And then it clicked that he had been on the Mitai experience a few nights before. Honestly it felt pretty great to be known for participating in the event like that 😊

    After a quick lunch I got back on the bus for another four hours or so until we got to Wellington. I slept a little bit on the way. Around 515 we pulled into the bus station and Chris was eagerly awaiting me. Back story:I met Chris last summer in Berlin. Him and stayed in the same hostel for a few days and then took the same train down to Dresden as well before reconnecting in Prague. I had let Chris know I was coming to NZ a few weeks ago and then I let him know two days ago that I would be in Wellington this weekend and asked if he wanted to grab a drink. He happily agreed and also invited me to stay on his couch to save some accommodation money. What a nice guy hey!?

    So Chris and I took the 40 minute walk back to his house along the coastline. It was beautiful scenery. Once we got back to his place I had a shower and met his flatmate Sage. The three of us ordered some Indian take out and had a relaxing evening of TV and snacks. Unfortunately I seem to have woken up with a cold today so that was exactly what I needed.

    Anyways. Early bedtime today in order to fight the cold and charge up for tomorrow. Chris seems to have lots of ideas for tomorrow so I'm quite excited! Goodnight everyone!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Beautiful Day on the town

    9. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Alright Wellington here we go! Woke up around 1030. Slept like a rock which was very much needed. Still felt a bit under the weather but mid day I felt great! Anyways after getting ready for the day Chris and I set out. As we began walking Chris explained that there was a big dog walk going on down by the harbor today. I was like oh my god am I dreaming!? So yeah went to the dog walk and there were dogs absolutely everywhere. Dream come true for this guy! Even a few border collies!

    Anyways we met up with Chris' neighbour Erin and her two friends Bre and Steph. Steph was actually American so we had a few little things in common. After a slight walk we went to St Johns which was a nice little joint for brunch. We ate outside on the patio and despite being nicknamed windy Welly the weather was absolutely phenomenal! It as as as probably about 21 with sun beaming onto us all through the day. I had steak and chips. It wasn't the most fancy steak but it was still quite tasty. I also managed to snag some of Chris' fried squid which I quite enjoyed.

    Here I learned that Chris and Erin work for a company called Xero. Which is an accounting software. Apparently it's like the next generation and makes everything insanely easier which I found quite interesting. Also like nobody uses cheques here which I found quite strange but I guess that's what Xero has done for NZ.

    After a few hours of brunch Erin, Chris and I set out on an adventure. We checked out the beehive which is where the prime minister does his work here in Wellington. It was incredible but at the same time quite ugly. Then we went to the Botans (botanical gardens). They were really quite wonderful and offered a nice view of the city. We took the cable car down which was a nice experience but because of being out in the sun all day I actually found the motion quite disorientating. I also finally tried L&P which is a NZ soda. It pretty much just tasted like sprite just a little more lemony.

    After coming down we caught the bus home. We hung out at Erin s house and ate our butter chicken leftovers from the night before. We also had some beer. We were watching the news and rugby came on and then somehow we spontaneously decided to go to a rugby match. I really quite enjoyed myself there. I also enjoyed slowly learning the game. We bought super cheap tickets and then sat front row because it really wasn't very busy. What a treat. The Wellington hurricanes won 40-22!

    After we went to JJs which was an Irish pub with live music. We stayed about an hour and then went home because we were all tired from the day.

    Overall it was a pretty sweet day in Wellington!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Te Papa Museum and Mount Victoria

    10. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Today was an alright day. I woke up still feeling a bit under the weather. Chris went to the super market and then made Sage, Erin and I breakfast which consisted of bacon, toast and eggs. It was really quite delicious.

    After everyone left Chris and I headed out on an adventure. Our first stop was Te Papa which is New Zealand's largest museum. It was beautifully designed but I quickly remembered how much I really don't enjoy museums. I think most of it has to do with me being quite a poor reader because after about half an hour I got quite bored, not to say that was Chris' fault or anything. But fun fact, the museum is the safest place in the city to be during an earthquake haha.

    When we left the museum there was like a round two of the dog walk that was waiting outside. Except this time it seemed to be almost exclusively very large dogs. There were even about 5 Leonbergers, which are by far the biggest dog breed I've every seen. When I asked the lady how much hers weighed she said 76kg which is about 168 pounds! Holy crap that's more than I weigh! Either way it was quite a sight and all the dogs were really well behaved 😊

    After that we decided to climb mount Victoria which much like mount Eden in Auckland, is at the heart of the city. It was a much more difficult climb than mount Eden but we made it and the view was nice. I'm kind of over the city views though. They're nice, but they're pretty much all the same.

    Afterwards we grabbed McDonald's for lunch. I had my second big Mac of my life and to be truthful it hit the spot quite nicely. After that I had an hour nap and woke up feeling sick again. I decided the rest of the day would be low key. I went to the market and bought food for the next few days. Then came back and played fifa 15 (a soccer game for ps3) against Chris' flatmate from England. I didn't mean to but I beat him 5-0... oops. Then I just made myself some noodles and that was supper.

    Finished the day off by watching some TV with Chris. He has been a great host and I'm very thankful that I got to stay with him and his friends and flatmates. Tomorrow I take the ferry and then bus to Nelson!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Off To The South Island!

    11. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    620am came way too soon today. I sprung up got my things packed up and off I went. I took the bus from Chris' house to the ferry terminal. The bus driver was very kind and helped me find my stop. After checking in and I went to the washroom to freshen up and as I walked out I spotted Maria once again so I sat down with her and we caught up on our weekend shenanigans.

    On the ferry we took a few pictures. I wanted it to look like the cloud was coming out of my hand but instead it turned out looking more like I was a model on the price is right and today we would be bidding on this beautiful thin cloud haha. It was quite funny. Maria and I chatted about the political issues that Germany is once again facing which was quite interesting to me. She told me how there is quite the controversy over the refugees in Germany and how a new Nazi type party is taking over the government once again because the citizens are afraid. The new party is called AFD (alternative for Germany I think). She seemed quite worried about it so I think I should stay up to date with the news. To be honest it all just reminded me of Donald Trump and how the results would probably be very similar for America if he is elected.

    After we went downstairs because it was getting quite windy on deck. I got sleepy so I found a decent little piece of carpet and just zonked out for about half hour. When I woke up I went to the cafe and had fish and chips for under $7 which I thought was quite a steal! For the latter part of the journey I sat in front of the TV and watched rugby highlights. Now that I actually understand the game I'm quite interested in it!

    After the ferry arrived in Picton (which is where i tagged this post because i spent most of the day on the toad) I caught a bus to Nelson. Within a few minutes of sitting down the girl sitting in the adjacent seat from me asked where in Canada I was from (because I have a sticker on my backpack) and after that we couldn't stop talking. Kiara and I spent the next two hours of the bus ride completely lost in each other's travel stories not only on the adventures themselves but the lessons and the growth that we had experienced through our journeys. She was pretty great and even complimented my mindset and the way I thought about life and and such, which was quite lovely to hear.

    Upon arrival into Nelson it was an absolutely beautiful sunny day. I took the quick 10 minute walk to the hostel and checked in. Olly at the front desk was more than inviting and helpful. I got settled and try to have a nap but no such luck. Had a quick call with home which was nice. Then I met Leona who was from the Netherlands travelling with stray bus. She spent the last month in the north island and was going to spend a whole year travelling around the world which was pretty cool. I went downstairs and quickly started chatting with Jody. Jody was from North West England close ish to Manchester. She'd been working in Queenstown for the last year and a half and was just about to head out to Europe for her next adventure. I admired her positive attitude to life. She was also a photographer and quite a good one from what I could tell but she didn't have have a blog so I introduced her to travel pod (the app I used for europe) last summer. If she starts a blog now because of me I will be quite pleased.

    After our conversation I headed out to find something to eat. The hostel was about 15 minutes walk to the food street and that's pretty much where I wrote this blog entry.

    Eventually I decided to have some asian food so I stopped and had a cashew nut chicken stir fry with mushrooms carrots sweet potato broccoli and cauliflower. It was quite a nice little joint and the meal was absolutely delicious. On the way home this old homeless man gave me the sweetest smile with the most nonchalant little wink. It was actually quite cute. I spent the rest of my walk home literally dancing as my ear buds sprinkled music into my heart. Such a lovely day.

    Then at eight the hostel offered free chocolate pudding (not actually pudding but like a hot cake type dessert) with ice cream. This is a nightly thing and I was quite pleased with it. It also created quite a social atmosphere around the kitchen and dining area. I met two Canadians one from Quebec named Amy, and one from Ontario named Alyssa. Also met a guy named Robin from Germany and a girl named Selena from Switzerland. She was my favourite because she reminded me (more physically than anything) of the character Sadness from the movie inside out. It was absolutely hilarious! By about 1030 I got tired and decided to call it a night. This hostel is pretty dang great. They even have little cartoons on the bathroom walls to read while you're doing your business haha. Anyways, nothing is really planned for tomorrow. Gonna just sleep in and then go with the flow! Nighty night everyone!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Pretty Lazy Day in Nelson

    12. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Today I kinda took the day off. I slept in until about 830. Eventually got out of bed and went downstairs to have breakfast. Afterwards I set out to the department of conservation. I had some questions regarding staying the night in Abel Tasman, more specifically Bark Bay because my friend Amy from last night had told me about the bioluminescence at high tide. The conservation officer told me high tide would be at three am and also that there was no guarantee that the bioluminescence would be visible (but Google it, they're so cool). After this discussion I decided I would just do a day trip to Abel Tasman tomorrow instead.

     I came back to the hostel hoping to go to sleep but Amy Selina and Robin we're awake and making crepes and asked me join them. Free crepes!? Umm yes please! We AL chipped in what we had. I chipped in peanut butter, bananas and chocolate and the Robin pitched in jam. I had one chocolate and one pb&j and they were both delicious. After my second breakfast I wandered back to the room and fell back asleep.

    When I awoke it was 115. I slowly got ready for the day. Before I left the hostel I sat down and read a book created by travellers coming through the hostel. Inside were entries from travellers from all corners of the world and each traveller wrote his or her favourite place back in their home country. The concept was so neat and I quite enjoyed the readings. There were a few from Canadians and even the people from BC had recommended the east including newfoundland and PEI. I found this quite nice to hear and now the east is definitely on my list of things to see 😊

    Around 3 I rented a bike from the hostel and set out. I don't know the last time I was on a bike but wow it is a skill that stays with you for the rest of your life. I took a quick stroll down the river before attempting to climb to th centre biological centre of New Zealand. I say attempted because after about 10 minutes of panting and sweating I decided I was not in shape to do so and turned back. I justified my laziness by remembering that the reviews didn't say it was all that great of view anyways haha.

    By the time I got down I was quite hungry again so I set out down Harvey street which is the main strip for food. Eventually I found an extreme pita and stopped there for a quick bite. The guy working was from golden bay and was moving to Wellington right away with his gf so she could pursue law. I told him he had clearly found a keeper haha. I then sat in the front window (which was open) and people watched as I had my lunch. I took to biking a bit more before finding a nice little stream part in the river. I even had some ducks come strolling through. I sat there writing this entry and listening to the water calmly flow along the rocks.

    When I got back to the hostel I just plugged my tunes in and curled into the hammock just outside the entrance. It turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day despite having rain in the forecast yesterday.

    Also today the guy at the front desk used the phrase "happy days" when I rented the bike from the front. I imagine it means the equivalent of no problem and I'm hoping to introduce the phrase into my vocabulary 😊

    I went to the grocery store with Alyssa the Ontatip girl from last night. Learned she studied health science and actually has a masters in it. Later at cake time I met Matthew who was an American and was here with his wife and 16 year old daughter. He was actually living in Myanmar which is apparently like one of the craziest real Estate markets on the world right now. Like $3000 USD per month barely gets you a shitty little shack on the outskirts of town. Pretty crazy. Later I figured out I'm going to franz joseph on Thursday which is a quaint little town situated right beside a glacier so I'm excited for that. I'll try figure out my plans with queenstown and wanaka tomorrow. Now is time for sleep because I have an early morning and busy day tomorrow!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Abel Tasman Day Trip

    13. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Back to early mornings here! Caught the 715 bus out of town for the Bay Hopper hike at Abel Tasman. By nine the bus arrived at Kaiteriteri and about twenty minutes later the water taxi departed the shores 😊 After about 45 minutes on the water taxi I arrived at my drop off point and began my hike.

    In the first hour I found a nice lookout point and a beautiful beach named sand fly beach (the name doesn't do it justice). There was a middle aged lady swimming topless but she certainly didn't care. She looked like she was having the time of her life. I quite admired her spirit actually!

    Later I found torrent bay and decided to have my picnic lunch here. There were maybe 5 other people at the beach and it was incredibly calm. My trek continued around 1pm. I had a lot of time to myself today but it was nice. I've began to change my mindset in such a way that I don't spend so much time letting my mind wander through the past or into the future. I just keep it focused on the moment and it's been quite a revalation for me!

    I finished the hike with almost an hour until the water taxi came to get me so I spent the last hour in anchorage bay I watched a family go for a swim together. At one point the little girl (maybe 10 years old) yells "it's very cold on my vagina!" I laughed so hard.

    By about 340 the water taxi came and picked me up and off I went. It was a beautiful day but as the sun began to set behind the mountains it quickly cooled off and everyone bundled up. I caught the bus and by six I was home again.

    I realized today I've officially made this an internal rule of mine. Whenever I ask for help (particularly in a hostel, but I'm working on expanding that to my life in general), I then ask the person for their name. Once they give it to me I thank them by name. I think it makes the gesture more heartfelt and personal 😊

    After I got back to the hostel I mainly just relaxed. I made supper and had a shower. Then I kind of figured out my plan for the rest of my time in New Zealand and booked a few key hostels. Other than that I enjoyed the free cake again, even took two pieces! I didn't stick around for social time today because I wasn't feeling up to it. Just lazy and tired. Tomorrow im up at 6am again! Off to Franz Joseph glacier! Nighty night folks!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Off To Franz Josef!

    14. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Today I spent 10 hours on a bus to get to Franz Josef. On the way out if Nelson I saw a street named called Whereama and I thought it was be an absolutely hilarious place to try and ask for a ride home. Like "buddy where are you?" "Whereama!" "Yeah man where are you!?" ...my sense of humor is pretty poor as you can tell. On the way out of town I saw this neat mall where on the bottom was little stores and on top was an apartment complex. It actually looked beautiful and I liked the idea.

    For the first hour I had WiFi but after that it stopped working which made the next 9 hours incredibly long. I curled up in the back seat and lay across 3.5 seats. I had probably five different naps during the day out of pure boredom. Around 1 the bus filled up so I had to sit up like everyone else. The scenery was beautiful but even that gets tiresome after 9 straight hours.

    Upon checking into the hostel I learned that there was free soup at six and free sushi at seven. What a deal! I briefly chatted with my new hostel roommates. One from Phillipines and one from Wisconsin. Then I headed to the common area to enjoy the free food.

    I met a few girls who were nice enough, and a Belgian guy who gave me a free beer (score) but then I met the most amazing family. Max, Henry, Bianca, Colleen and Ron were an American family that up and sold everything they had 3 years ago and had been traveling ever since. So freaking cool. I chatted with Ron (the father) for quite a while about their adventures, as well as my own, and how they did it. Ron's grandfather was Italian so they were able to get Italian passports and from there they saw Europe piece by piece. They were so humble. A bunch of us sat and played uno with the children. Bianca was even my partner for the game and she seemed quite alright with being partners even though we came 3rd out of 4 teams. Colleen (the mother) shared her blog with me so I'll definitely be keeping up with that when I can! The website is www.livology.com if anyone else is curious! 😊

    I spent the rest of the night just hanging out writing the rest of my blog. But it's about 11 and I'm exhausted. Going to go hiking tomorrow with the Belgian guy Adrien that I met earlier this evening so that should be interesting. No idea what we will get into but I'm sure it will be beautiful! Nighty night!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Roberts point

    15. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today was beautiful. Woke up around 830 and headed to the communal area for free breakfast. Cereal toast and jam. Probably one of the more filling breakfasts I've had here.

    Around 1030 Adrien and I set out on our adventure. Before we could start our hike we had to get to franz josef car park. We walked about halfway and then got picked up by this older Argentinean couple. They were really sweet and it saved about 3km of walking so that was great.

    Our hike was a total of about 5 hours including our lunch break. We only took one bag and Adrien ended up carrying it for most of the time which was nice. This was by far the trickiest hike I have done while in NZ, actually probably in all my life. The landscape was beautiful and so natural but that also meant it was not exactly a trail walk. Wet stones and rocks made it slippery and at times tough to maneuver. At one point I kind of twisted my ankle but it was quite minor so I was able to carry on without any issue.

    Once we got to Robert's point we had a picnic lunch. I had a chicken and lettuce pita which was nothing special but given how hungry I was it really hit the spot. We sat and enjoyed the views for almost half an hour before going back the way we came from. Today I learned that if it's hard going up, it will probably be even more tricky coming down. Towards the bottom we met two other guys. Waleed was from France and Ezra was from the US. We ended up getting a ride back to town with them. Adrien and I ended up sharing the front seat which was less than comfortable, but quite entertaining to be a part of.

    After we got back to the hostel I had a much needed shower and then took a few hours to myself. Then we had free soup again at 6 and at 7 Adrien, and I were joined by Emma from London and Nick from Bristol for a few drinks. Emma and I shared a litre of cider at the first place and then I had a stout beer at the second place. For someone who doesn't like coffee the beer was actually quite good. Speights really can't do any wrong. We all played a few games of pool and I may or may not have showed off a little bit.

    Emma is going back to Queenstown tomorrow and staying for quite some time so I'll have to catch up with her again in about a week's time once I'm there! Here I am just relaxing in the hostel now watching the wedding planner with a few british girls. Gonna call it a night right away. Going to take it easy this weekend. Nighty night.

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Lazy Weekend in Franz Josef

    17. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    So having done the most epic hike in Franz Josef yesterday I decided the rest of my weekend would be pretty relaxed.

    I slept in and bummed around for most of the day. Restocked on shampoo and toiletries. Booked accommodation for dunedin which is my last major NZ stop before Australia. So NZ is officially planned and I pretty much just have to show up at this point.

    In the afternoon I watched "the rookie" which was a great feel good movie to watch but a little too great... may have ended up with a few happy tears. Got worried at one point someone would walk into the movie room and be like "dude are you okay?" Hahaha.

    Other than that I made a few runs to the store for chips, cookies and chocolate milk but nothing else major. Also did a puzzle and played scrabble with a few of the staff members here at the hostel.

    Sunday was a really rainy day. I stayed in the hostel and watched ghost Rider. What a terrible movie. I also did my laundry so I'm ready for the next week. Afterwards I met a guy in my room from Liverpool area and a girl from near Venice. They were both working in Australia before coming here so I got some sweet tips on where to go when I get to Melbourne 😊

    Afterwards I met Johannes who was from Dortmund Germany who was travelling with Francesca. They are going to wanaka tomorrow so I will tag a ride with them 😊it's quite a small car and someone else might join too so it will be interesting to say the least! I'm also meeting up with Emilie tomorrow in Wanaka so it will be a wonderful week ahead!

    For dinner Francesca cooked us all penne with gorbanzo bean sauce which was delicious. Josh supplied the beer and I supplied the snacks. It was a great meal. Afterwards as I was passing reception it turned out that Amy from my first night in Nelson was just checking in! It was nice to see a familiar face. After dinner and a few beers we all set out for a little hike just into the forest. We found a few small colonies of glow worms and they were amazing. It really is incredible how much you can see when the night sky is clear and bright. 😊

    Anyways more adventures tomorrow! Goodnight everyone and take care!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Off to Wanaka!

    18. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Alright so this morning my three new friends Johannes, Francesca, and Lison (from Feance) and myself departed for Wanaka! We packed ourselves and all our luggage and backpacks into the small car that they rented and off we went.

    We made a stop at lake Matheson for almost two hours. It was a beautiful Lake that was surrounded by the mountains which made for quite lovely photos. Here Jo and I chatted about our lives and our countries back home. He explained why Dortmund's soccer club is so great and popular and honestly it sounded kinda similar to the riders because they have lots of neighboring towns that come into the city for all the games so they have fans from all around west Germany.

    I had a nap for a while ane then around noon we stopped at Knights point which was a small lookout area. A while later we stopped at Flat Point so Francesca could take a nice picture of the mountains. Then we ended up staying there a while and cooking some nice spaghetti with their portable stove. I have to say Francesca is quite the cook!

    We got into Wanaka around five ish. I gave them some gas money and then checked in. Soon after that I found Emilie with her new friend Becca who I quickly befriended. We had a light dinner before going out for drinks. We went to this place called water bar where I had about 3 pints which was plenty. We all shared very personal details and thoughts and exchanged very deep conversations which I quite enjoyed. Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day in Wanaka so we will see what it brings!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Roy's Peak!

    19. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Wow what a day. Woke up around 830 and quickly got ready. After having a quick breakfast, Hannes Francesca, Lison and I headed out to do a big day hike at Roy's peak. We got there shortly after 10 and got to the summit around 130. The total hike with return was 16km! And let me tell you, it was not an easy 16km.

    At the summit I met Kelly and Eriko, two sisters from the states. We exchanged chocolates and travel stories. There was a lookout spot where these two german girls needed help taking a picture. After I helped them they returned the favour and they ended up getting my favourite shot of the trip so far! Perfectly timed!

    Around 430 we got back to the car and headed back into Wanaka. The three of them were off to Queenstown, but I have two more nights to enjoy Wanaka. They were a great group and I really enjoyed spending the last two days with them!

    Then I got back to the hostel and met up with Emilie and Becca. We went for a nice dinner at lake bar. I had beer short rib with mashed potatoes and vegetable and I also ate Emilie's fries too because I was solo hungry! Afterwards I even went to the super market and bought a chocolate cake and some milk and enduldged. I have lots left so I'll eat it for breakfast tomorrow.

    The rest of the night was low key and spent in the hostel. I played three games of pool against a kiwi lad named Louis and I won them all on the black ball. Tomorrow should be a good day on the town.

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Sunny Day in Wanaka

    20. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today I woke up to Emilie telling me to get up because it was already half past ten. Oops. I got up and had chocolate cake for breakfast with Emilie, Rebecca, and a french girl named Anne from my dorm room. That was a really nice way to start the day.

    Emilie and I decided to go for a brief walk after I got ready for the day. We went down to the beach for a while before Maria (from the ferry) met up with us and Becca and we all walked down to the local vineyard. On the way down we found the wanaka tree which is the a small tree growing out of the water in the shoreline. I took a picture that looks like I'm holding it haha.

    We got to the vineyard and sampled a few different wines. The first were a few pinot noirs. They were okay but I'm really not a red wine person. The rieslings were much better and the four of us even decided to buy a bottle. So we sat on the hill of the vineyard and enjoyed the bottle in the sunshine. It was a relaxing afternoon.

    When we got back to the hostel Emilie and i decided to spend the evening together just the two of us. So we went out and I suggested starting with dessert so we went and got gelato. Emilie got Dulce de Leche which I don't even know what that means and I got some cool named caramel. It was honestly some of the best ice cream/gelato I've ever had. We just sat on the beach and enjoyed our ice cream while watching the sun set over the mountains.

    Later we decided to get pizza. On the way back to the hostel we stopped to get a few things at the grocery store. There was a guy outside busking and he was amazing. He did a diamonds cover by Rihanna. The way he did it was so beautiful and original. My mood changed substantially after that and I just began to appreciate everything about wanaka and what the evening had become.

    We got back to the hostel and had our pizza. A little bit later I saw a guitar and decided I would play Emilie a few songs that I had written. I ended up feeling quite comfortable in front of her so I shared four. Later on we spoke and she explained that she had connected quite a bit with my song lyrics. That was honestly one of the best feelings in the world to know that my lyrics really touched someone. She also seemed quite confident in my vocal ability which was flattering to say the least.

    Afterwards Rebecca, Emilie and I just had a nice relaxing evening together sharing more personal stories. Tomorrow Emilie and I leave for Queenstown. I'm sure lots of epic adventures await! Goodnight my friends!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Queenstown Can't Handle Us

    21. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Alrighty!

    So today woke up and checked out of the hostel. Emilie, Rebecca and I had great morning of walking down by the lake. I found a statue and took a few interesting photos with it. The girls needed coffee and so we stopped at the same shop that Emilie and I had gelato at yesterday. There were these three guys that were having double scoop ice cream cones for breakfast and I was so jealous! After we bought some tortellini and had a quick lunch. I might have put too much salt... oops.

    After lunch I found a guitar and started playing again. I played a small show for Emilie and Rebecca for a while before the hostel owners son Isaac came by and I invited him to play. He was quite an amazing guitarist and he played some older tunes from Pink Floyd and the Beatles.

    After that Emilie and I departed to catch the bus to Queenstown. It was a beautiful drive full of beautiful trees that were changing colours for the autumn months and reflective lakes that made beautiful pictures for the eyes to behold.

    Upon arriving in Queenstown Emilie and I quickly found our hostel and checked in. I was also able to meet up with my friend Emma that I met in Franz Joseph and we set up plans for tomorrow tomorrow but they're a surprise!

    Once everything was sorted Emilie and i set out for dinner. We found this place called fat badgers. They had two sizes of pizza, 12" and 20" so naturally we got a half and half of the big one. And wow was it ever big. Half was some sort of lamb creation which was my favourite and the other half was a chicken bacon something rather which was pretty good also.

    This young guy actually served us the pizza. When we left we thanked him and I asked if he himself had made the pizza and he shook his head yes. I then asked his name. He said Badger. I said like you own this place? And he said yes. I thanked him and was so taken back that such a young lad could own such a wonderful place to eat. Not to mention it was packed. This moment was definitely one of the highlights of my trip because my newfound way of thanking people really paid off this time because otherwise I would never have known I was served the pizza by the owner himself!

    After dinner Emilie wanted to go somewhere to just have a relaxed glass of wine. As we walked there was a place with live music and I wanted to go in but I knew she already had a place in mind so I didn't say anything (I should mention this isn't Emilie's first time in Queenstown). Anyways the bar with live music ended up being the place she wanted to go and I was very pleased.

    I got a beer and she got wine but I didn't like my beer so we ended up switching drinks. Me and red wine are not usually friends but this particular one was very nice to sip. We shared a lot of wonderfully personal and deep thoughts. I even started explaining how all the most important people in my life had influenced me and changed my view of the world which was quite an interesting realization. I recommend you do it one day. Just stop and think of all the traits you have and who around you has given you them or influenced those thoughts or behaviours. It's quite eye opening in a good way!

    The band was a couple from Ireland called Calico. They were absolutely amazing. Shortly into their performance they announced that they took requests so I requested some ed sheeran and they played "A team" for me which was really nice. They also played Babylon by David grey and What are you waiting for by George Ezra which weren't songs I knew but I quite enjoyed and will have to learn once I am back home.

    Finally I grew tired and we headed back to the hostel which to my delight was actually just down the street. On my real birthday (Saturday) Emilie will be leaving to go back to the north island so we're celebrating tomorrow. I'm sure it will be quite the day! Goodnight everyone and take care!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • Terrence KaushikNew Zealand and Australia 2016Terrence Kaushik

    Last Day of 23

    22. huhtikuuta 2016, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Today is a really big day for me because it marks my last day at the age of twenty three. I can honestly say that twenty three was the best year of my life so far and I can only hope that twenty four will be able to keep up!

    Anyways!

    Woke up around 830 and Emilie had kindly gone to the store and bought cereal and milk for us to enjoy. When we finished up breakfast we headed out on out first adventure of the day: luging (essentially go carting down a mountain without an engine haha). We took the gondola up the mountain and got a great view of the city. The luge track didn't technically open until 10 so we were one of the first people on the track once it did. To be honest the luge was slightly underwhelming but it was good because I had good company with me! Emilie and i refused to purchase the photos, but I did snap a picture of the screen so I do have a choppy keepsake haha.

    Afterwards we went back to the hostel to try and nap because both of us were quite exhausted and we both needed a nap. I only slept about 10 minutes before housekeeping woke me up and luckily Emilie didn't have any better luck in her room so we both decided to just go get lunch.

    We went to a place called Devil Burger which I believe rivals ferg burger (which is a famous joint here in Queenstown). It was quite a sizable burger and Emilie shared her fries with me so I was stuffed.

    Around one I met up with Emma and we walked to the next adventure of the day... SKYDIVING! Mom's probably freaking out right about now, but I'm writing this so obviously I survived! 😊 Anyways we arrived and checked in. They walked us through a brief safety demonstration before we were driven out to the drop site. It was a nice little area right beside the remarkables (Queenstown's mountain range). Emma and I were in the later group so we had to wait a little while. We played lawn size chess and then decided to write things on our hands for the dive.

    Shortly after that we were called in and it was time to suit up. I met my tandem partner who was Mario from Portugal. He got me all suited up and prepared and walked me through a few rules and such. Afterwards we all crammed ourselves onto the little plane.

    As we began to ascend it really hit me that I was about to skydive. The plane ride itself was beautiful and quite a roller coaster for the stomach. Once we hit 15,000 feet the door opened and bodies began leaving the plane two at a time. Emma was the first person out and she screamed haha I was the second one out and this guy from China named Nemo that I had met was the very last one.

    The feeling was crazy. My ears we're screaming but the view went unchallenged with anything I'd ever seen. We began above the clouds and quickly broke through them. The mountains and lake seemed to merge into one. It was amazing. Eventually Mario pulled the parachute and it felt like we came to a complete halt. My ears did not enjoy this part. But soon enough he handed me the reins and off we descended. He took them back for a while which was cool and we did some neat arial tricks. Soon enough we hit the ground and I had officially completed my first ever skydive!

    I cleared my ears out and then got a nice photo with Mario. I talked more to Nemo and he explained he was actually on his honey moon which I thought was really cute. Emma and I both kinda felt rough afterwards so we decided to have a nap and then regroup later.

    When I awoke I felt quite rested and I was ready for the rest of my day! Emilie had written up a few post cards as a happy birthday present which was quite unexpected and sweet. After I got showered up we went out for a nice dinner. Neither of us were really in the mood for it but we ended up in a loud English pub. The food was far from phenomenal but it was alright. Later we both needed grounding so we sat on a bench and took a few deep breaths by the sea. I chose to close my eyes and in doing so experienced the most intense "people watching" moment I'd ever had. In the few minutes I had my eyes closed I heard so many conversations held by women and men and toddlers and birds. It was just such an amazing moment for me. I think that's how I'm going to "people watch" from now on.

    Afterwards we had plans to go out with others from the hostel for a wild night but I changed my mind and we decided to go for a quiet drink instead. I wasn't in a particularly good mood, but with Emilie's help I was able to pick myself back up and come back to life. We sat along the shoreline of the lake and chatted for quite some time and just took it all in. Queenstown has quite a LOUD vibe to it, which I've already realized isn't really my thing, but I'm going to try and find the beauty in it in the next two days while I'm here.

    Before bed Emilie wished me an official happy birthday and that was that. I don't really have plans for tomorrow, so we'll see what happens!

    -Terrence out    Lue lisää

    Katso käännös
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Koti
  • Tietoa meistä
  • Ryhmän seuranta
  • Lehdistö
  • Ehdot
  • Yksityisyys & Cookies
  • Ohjekeskus
  • Merkintä